The Ultimate Review of Arm Exercises for Women, Part 8

I figured that I’d make life easier for you by doing a comprehensive evaluation of every upper arm exercise out there. Deciding what exercises to include in your workouts can be a daunting task. Especially since there are so many different opinions from different experts.

You could spend a very long time sifting through all the information. And the more time you spend sifting, the less time you have for getting sexy arms. So I am going to go ahead and save you some time.

Here’s today’s review of arm exercises for women:

Lying Triceps Extensions (Aka Skull Crushers)

Credit: bodybuilding.com

You can observe gym rats around the world performing this exercise until their faces turn blue. It’s a staple in any serious bodybuilding program. And for good reason: it’s an excellent exercise for working the triceps. But it has a nasty drawback… It can cause massive strain on the elbow joint and to a lesser degree, the wrists. Moreover, this is a difficult exercise to do alone when using heavier weights.

Technique

Lie down on a bench and grasp an ez-bar with an overhand grip while keeping your arms parallel and vertical.

Maintain a forceful contraction in your abs, keep your back straight and dig into the ground with your heels.

Inhale, and lower the barbell to your forehead.

Exhale, and return the barbell to the starting position.

Most common mistakes

Not keeping the elbows frozen in place which takes stress off of the triceps.

Letting the back arch which places unnecessary strain on the spine.

Continual pressing against the bar even though the triceps are fatigued and have reached their limit. Trying to forcefully get over this sticking point puts tremendous pressure on the elbow joint.

Using momentum to move the weight rapidly. When taken to an extreme, you can injure your forehead. Hence the name “skull crushers.”

Sleeveless in 7 rating: 4/10

This exercise would get close to a perfect score if it weren’t for the stress it places on the elbows. I’ve seen way too many people develop tendonitis in their elbows as a result of this exercise. The risk is simply not worth it.

Lying Triceps Dumbbell Extension

Credit: bodybuilding.com

This is a great exercise for your triceps. And unlike skull crushers, it doesn’t place too much stress on your elbows because your hands aren’t fixed on a bar. However, it does require a degree of balance and coordination, and strict form.

Technique

Lie down on a bench and grasp a dumbbell with each hand while keeping your arms parallel and vertical.

Maintain a forceful contraction in your abs, keep your back straight and dig into the ground with your heels.

Inhale, and lower both dumbbells.

Exhale, and return the dumbbells to the starting position.

Most common mistakes

Not keeping the elbows frozen in place which takes stress off of the triceps.

Letting the back arch which places unnecessary strain on the spine.

Continual pressing against the dumbbells even though the triceps are fatigued and have reached their limit. Trying to forcefully get over this sticking point puts tremendous pressure on the elbow joint.

Not going all the way down and all the way up. This reduced range of motion decreases the effectiveness of the exercise.

Sleeveless in 7 rating: 8.5/10

This is a great arm exercise for the triceps. The main drawback is that you have to use very strict form when doing it. But you can use challenging weights if you keep your core tight and stabilize your shoulders.

Is my attempt to evaluate every upper arm exercise in existence helping you? I hope so! Don’t miss my next review. Until then…